


Hear me in your eternal slumber...

by Zenzen_Hana



Category: One Piece
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Dark Past, Fanfiction, Friendship/Love, Love, M/M, Narcolepsy, Past Lives, Past Violence, Pirates, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates, Shounen-ai, Slow Romance, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28404222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenzen_Hana/pseuds/Zenzen_Hana
Summary: Marco would do anything to ensure his past isn't revealed to anyone in the notorious White Beard crew. He works with his poker face on even during battles and wears a facade twenty-four hours.But the young and wild new son of Whitebeard is revved up to discover his true face behind the mask and will use anything in his disposal to uncover it all.Join the journey between the phoenix and the fire fist as they battle head in to uncover the truth with only a single word to break it all open.."Did you just say... Narcolepsy?"
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Portgas D. Ace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer! None of the characters are mine! Their all Oda-sensei's creations! The only part of the story that is my own is Marco's past! I would also like to apolgise to my fans out there for I have sinned into writing this cause I wanted to write a heartbreaking Marco x reader but I couldn't break the Marco x Ace ship!!!

Marco couldn't recall when was the last time he could sleep soundly. Recently, things on the Moby Dick have been chaos and the First Division Commander was on wits end, uncertain of how to cool things down. 'We have been attacked by marines for the past week more that three times a day... But it's not that that renders me tired...' He thought while massaging the bridge between his nose. His ears caught sound of a ferocious battle cry and he didn't need to see the future to expect a small speck in the sky was currently falling towards him. Without much effort, the blonde doctor took a step back, letting whatever fell from the sky crash-land onto the wooden deck. He arched a brow at the familiar tan skin and cowboy hat that hung loosely around his neck by a string. 

'How coincidental...' Thought Marco while keeping his deadpan expression on. 'It's him...'

The source of Marco's intent head aches and master of revving up the Moby Dicks mood, young former captain of the Spade crew, Fire Fist Ace, sat in a heap. His silky black locks were a mess over his face and his elbows and clothes were ripped and bruised by the impact. Many gathered around him, some laughing without a care, some glooming in confusion, such as Marco was. His month of restless nights started by the appearance of the young adult who claimed to be the future Whitebeards murderer. 

Pops took his words as a joke and decided to just play along, casually flicking Ace's attempts away one by one. Marco was growing wary of his struggles and often wondered, 'Why go such lengths for the impossible?' But he could never ask such question to the younger boy, seeing how he was much more determined the blonde had ever been. 

So as usual, Marco stood among the crowd, staring at Ace as he struggled to get up. His limbs were weak and nimble, having used most of his strength to defend the Moby Dick from their previous encounter with the government dogs. The fire devil fruit boy claimed he was just doing it so he could kill Whitebeard more quicker. But in Marco's eyes, he's seen how Ace does it to impress the old man and protect his crew. 'He's a nice person. Is he just all bark and no bite?' 

Marco's eyes caught sight of Ace's lips curled into a smile as he pushed upwards and how loose his shoulders were than usual. The expression he wore though brought too much memories to the phoenix. Fire... Ear-piercing screams... Bloody hallways... Stares of disbelief as they shouted in repeat; "DEMON! DEMON! DEMON!" Marco felt goosebumps appear over his skin at the dark look from the younger and had to turn away his gaze. He felt uncomfortable in his line of sight and staggered away, feeling weak and vulnerable. Sweat accumulated over his skin and he felt it hard to breath. 'What the-? This never happened before after I joined here! What's going on?' Without hesitation, he transformed into his phoenix self, surprising the many crew mates on deck and took off. 

Ace watched in awe insight of the elders transformation and his gaze trailed Marcos figure until it disappeared into the high clouds. Blinking twice, Ace narrowed his gaze, hoping to catch sight of any blue flames. But a rough heavy hand on his shoulder caught him off guard and he jolted before turning around. 

"Pretty, ain't he?" Chuckled the elder blonde with his usual white chef overalls and hair gelled upwards. "Honestly, if he was a chick, I wouldn't mind asking him over for a night!"

Once again, Ace was caught off guard as a beautiful boy that seriously resembled a girl smacked Thatch's head in anger while huffing, "You just want to sleep with anyone that can get you hard, perv!"

The chef looked scandalised at her accusation and quickly grabbed Izou's hands while lifting it to his lips while smoothly saying, "But only you can get me to my full hard potential, Izou~ That's why only you are able to sleep by my-"

And for the third time in a row, Fire Fist Ace was startled as large palms were placed over his ears and he could barely hear the biggest member of the crew, Juzo growl; "You guys should watch your words! We shouldn't taint the pure innocence of our young Ace!"

His words sent waves of laughter among the others but Ace smiled it off. He was glad they were at least accepting. 'Wait what? No, I'm not! They shouldn't like me! I'm here to just kill Whitebeard!' But somewhere deep in his heart, he yearned the loving family warmth emitted from this crew and he couldn't help feel addicted to their kindness. 'It's not all bad, Ace! They're nice guys! I'm sure they would accept me!' Before his pessimistic side could fight back, he recalled Duece's words back at the Spade Crew ship. "Just because your father is someone dark, doesn't mean you are, Ace. You're as bright as the sun..." Those words have kept Ace from falling into depression and he owes his former vice captain so much.

Feeling slightly okay, he began to wipe off the dirt on his pants. As he did so, loud earth-shaking laughter shook the ship and he lifted is gaze as Whitebeards face popped beside the mast. "Honestly, you underling, just surrender and be my son! Killing me won't do you any good."

Feeling his cheeks flare up, he lifted his hand in a threatening way while igniting it before growling, "Never, you old man. I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do." This only gained more laughter from the elder and Ace puffed out his cheeks before returning his gaze to the blue sky and asked out loud, "Where did Marco fly off to anyway? It was so sudden I thought he was gonna fly to the toilets to let out a number two..."

Thatch nervously scratched his cheek while the others looked away obviously, grabbing the youngsters attention. He sharped his burning gaze, wanting an answer. But they just scooted out of his line of sight until he was alone on the deck with his arch nemesis. Whitebeard watched the young boy return his gaze to the sky where his right-hand man disappeared and caught sight of the look of solemn and concern. 

This led to him letting out a huff of amusement before he muttered, "There's a lot of him nobody knows. There's even parts of his past he never tells me. It truly is concerning if a son does that but a father can't just force him to open up." 

Ace listened to the old man spoke softly while a gush of wind blew through his hair. The sky darkened as time passed slowly and soon Ace turned to the man and questioned softly, "Who is he?"

"That's something I'll forever wonder," replied Whitebeard softly while ruffling Ace's messy hair. "I can only hope someone will be able to break him from his dark past..."

Something stirred in Ace's heart at this. Marco is apparently hiding his past from his own father for whatever reason. It seems to be connected to a dark past. Not only Whitebeard, but the entire crew are unsure of Marco's troubling past. This sent a wave of curiosity into his gut and he decided there and then; 'I'm going to find out Marco's past!'


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DEDICATED TO @AngelicaBaldonado5 on wattpad for asking for a new update 4 days ago! This is going to be impromptu just like all of my other stories because planning fanfictions never end well... Writing impromptu is my specialty so hope you enjoy!

In the dark blue sky, Marco flew in his phoenix form flew pass the clouds, trying to clear his mind from the negative thoughts. It confused him how the look in the young raven-haired male could make those memories arise after all that therapy he went through to lock it up. With a frustrated grunt, he flapped those blue magnificent wings of his harder to ascend into the sky and stopped midair insight of the white glorious moon.

Ever since he was a child, back in the past, Marco would stare into the beautiful blue sky to bathe into the moonlight. It had always managed to soothe him like no other therapy and he wished to get closer by any even an inch. Now, with this form, he gained that freedom and now let himself stare at it without any care in the world.

His eyelids drooped in relief, letting the moonlight claim his soul for a moment. Everything felt right for the boy, he felt happy to be free unlike the past. Nothing could hold him back. He took a deep breath before forcing himself higher, ignoring the consequences running through his mind. With a wild urge, he twisted back into his human form and teared up at the pressure against his lungs. Everything felt right; the pain, the fear even the memories. He knew he shouldn't accept this freedom. 'It is all a burden in life... One can't simply escape such hell without this... As the demon, this is my punishment...'

His lungs screamed for help as he pushed himself to his limits and at the last second, he felt his nerves recoil in denial. 'I don't want to die yet! Don't do this, Marco! LIVE!' And with a huff, he pushed himself to dive back to the safety level and bit his lip in anger. Anger at himself and his fate. '"A DEMON LIKE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE ALIVE! EVERYONE YOU EVER LOVED WILL DIE BY YOUR CURSE!"' 

Seeing the ocean surface gain closer in distance, he took a deep breath and counted to ten in his mind before shifting back and letting his wings fight against the winds, pulling him back up. In the air, he sniffed back at his tears and let the wind push it away. 'Time to head back... Can't let them wait too long or they'll get suspicious...' He frowned and flew through the winds before eyeing the Moby Dicks bright lights. 

He slowed down, only to feel his frown deepen as the same tanned boy from that very afternoon sat on the starboard, grinning childishly at Marco's arrival. His hands were raised in a waving signal while he shouted out; "MARCO!! OKAIDII! (A/N: Japanese for "Your Back!/Welcome back!") 

"T-Tadaima... yoi, (A/n: Japanese for "I'm back")" muttered the blonde in bewilderment while morphing back to his human form by the boys side. "Why were you waiting for me?"

"Pops said something interesting to me just now, so I decided to await your arrival before breaking the big news!" He explained while jumping up and wiping off shorts from the dust. "Ready to hear it?"

"Highly doubt it's gonna surprise me after you called him 'pops', yoi" Marco huffed with his hands on his hips. "You finally joined, fire fist..."

HIs toothy grin snapped something in Marcos system and the boy faltered as his heart rate grew rapidly. He felt the heat burn at his cheeks and frowned at this. 'Is this a part of my curse? Why am I so disturbed by this boy? Is it because he's like me?' But before he could calculate anything, he was forced back to reality as the boy grabbed his wrist and pulled him along with such optimism that would render one away from the deeps of hell itself. 

Marco could only stumble ahead, unable to argue against the warmth he was feeling and soon met up with the friendly warm joy of his crew and captain. They were in a party mood with Whitebeard joining in by a huge window and they had brought out the sake. 

"Okay Thatch... Who allowed sake in this party, yoi? I'm pretty sure as head doctor, I've banned sake for another decade or so, yoi..." Grunted the pineapple head while tilting his head slightly. "Is it such a big occasion?"

"Listen to this, Marcs'! Ace-boy here decided to finally join the crew! That serves for sake more than anything!" Thatch yelled over the crowd with a over filled tankern of sake. "YOUR DOCTORS CERT CAN EAT MY ASS!"

"Maybe it will, you huge oaf!" yelled Izou while slapping the back of the chefs head harshly. "Marco! Lend me your doctors cert for the night! It belongs in this idiots anus!"

Ace let out a laugh at this and joined the party while dragging the elder male by the hand. He was unable to pull away as the boy pushed his way pas the crew towards their pops and Marco couldn't believe the unexpected development. 'Just hours ago, the boy was trying to kill pops... I wonder what changed him?'

Whitebeard smirked insight of his eldest sons arrival and yelled out loud; "I was wondering where you flew off to, son! Better tell me next time you need some alone time! I'lll arrange the course towards a nice island where I can introduce you to some ladies! They could treat you for the night!"

The others cat-whistled at the very idea but the blonde merely shrugged it off with a huff and took a seat while replying; "Not interested, yoi..."

"Gay much?" Chuckled Izou, catching Ace's attention. The other sniggered at this and Ace began to wonder regarding the first commanders sexual orientation.

"Not talking bout that with the kid here!" Jozu yelled while pressing his palms against Aces ears. "The young boy should be free of this dirty talk till he reaches the proper age!"

"Oh come on, Jozu," frowned the boy while lifting his gaze to see the huge crew mate. "I'll be twenty by next month! Surely I'm old enough to listen to sexual orientation discussions!" 

"WAIT WHAT??" The entire crew gasped while Whitebeard laughed loudly in amusement. "You're twenty? Aren't you like seventeen at the very least?" One of the cabin crew asked in pure shock.

"Do I look that young?" Ace wondered with a chuckle while glancing over at his first commander. 

"No, yoi..." frowned the blonde before finally pulling his wrist away from Ace's reach. "And there's nothing to discuss regarding my sexual orientation, yoi..."

Marco stood up swiftly, ignoring the stares and walked out the room. Something about Ace nerved him with the thought of a sexual orientation chat. He felt like it was something personal he had to keep from him. So without further adieu, the elder male hurried off to his room, away from the others sights and held a hand onto his heaving chest. 'This is for the best, Marco... This is for the best..'


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the 14 kudos and 80 hits in ONE NIGHT AFTER I PUBLISHED THIS!
> 
> If you guys were from my Wattpad, then I thank you all!  
> If not, go check it out!  
> wattpad: zoe_animebaka
> 
> So this update is for @20thCentury_Girl and @The25thnight for being the first 2 for giving me kudos! I'm surprised this book managed to gain more than the Now You Hear Me book I updated on the same time but has like 16 chapters!

Ace stared at the door Marco left from. Something was blooming in his chest. It was the same feeling he lost after leaving Luffy with Dandan at East Blue. 'Concern... I'm concern of Marco-san...' He tried to think back on what made him so worried and realised it soon. 'He's too secretive. I want to understand him more...'

He let those thoughts fill his mind before something struck him. 'What does that even mean?' He deadpans at his stupidity before rubbing his chin while unconsciously grabbing a piece of meat and began munching on it. While his mind tried understanding his own vocabulary, it also began to feel like 'screw this; I'mma shut down...' And Ace fell asleep, banging his head on the table, gaining laughter from the entire crew.

\---

Marco sat in his room, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Everything was too much for him recently. He gets headaches easily and things annoy him more randomly. At first, the elder man thought it was because of his lack of sleep, having been too busy recently. The pile of paperwork, reports and investigations were skyrocketing by the minute. But when he did get enough rest, he was still irritated so he believed it was the fact the crew were often loud so he avoided loud battles and wore earplugs to prevent the sound from hitting him.

But even that wasn't enough. The sharp jabs in his brain was still around so Marco concluded it was his over use of his devil fruit. After a bit of training, he joined the deck battles with sword and combat. The crew was amazed of his skills and even Thatch admitted he was cool. But that too wasn't the cause if his constant headaches. 'Then there's an anomaly in my life... What's new or different than usual...' Out of pure curiosity, he listed down;

\- Thatch's odd/new menu  
\- Izou's nagging of fashion and money division  
\- Pops health (Most prob)  
\- Jozu's begging for muscle training equipment

'Is that all?' He thought, feeling like he's missing out on something. He began pacing his room while massaging his nose temple. A knock on the door and a cry of "DOCTOR" caught his attention and he let out a tired huff before walking over and pulling it open.

"What is it, Saber yoi?" He asked the brunette who looked a complete mess. His hat was gone, most probably stolen by one of the crew mates but still had his headphones around his neck (A/N: Yes, Saber has headphones based on the manga!) meaning he managed to protect at least his dignity. 

But something was off about Saber being here. The youngster wasn't one to disturb Marco. He usually disturbed... 'Oh, that's what I was missing...' Realised the blonde before returning to his notepad and scribbles horribly in capital letters; 'ACE'. He then turned to the boy, raising a questioning brow. His coat was messed up, having one side at his elbow as if he had to push through a crowd in a rush. "Don't you usually hang around Ace, yoi?"

"W-Well I'm here because of him..." Muttered the boy while smothering out his hair. "Something's wrong with Ace.."

Eyes widening at this, Marco immediately shot out the room, hurrying off towards the party once more. He barged through the door, his heart hammering against his chest until he found the area people was circling but keeping a distance. It was near Pops so he quickly hurried towards Ace. The boy was on the counter, his face planted to the table, hand still holding a fork upright. His cheeks were puffed out, stuffed of food, but his boy was still. 'What the hell?'

"What happened here?" He asked softly, slowly inspecting Ace for any arrows or needles that might've poisoned him or injected an unknown substance. After finding nothing, he did a quick medical check-up. 

"I-I'm not sure, Marco-san..." Saber muttered nervously. "He was about to eat when he smacked his head on the desk. I've heard rumours this happened often but I've never been there to see it..."

Marco felt a slow pulse and felt his warm breathe through his open mouth. The doctor felt his muscles and pulled out a book to take notes. 'Muscle tones seemed to have reduce; Sleep paralysis?; Normal pulse and heart rate...' The blonde took a moment to stare at the body. 'He's not dead but he's also not awake... Is he in deep sleep?'

Silence filled the room and many joined in the staring, unsure what to do. Marco was about to open his mouth to ask someone to bring his kit when Ace suddenly sprung back up like a stick and his mouth began chewing at the piece of meat in his cheeks. Everyone had jolted at his sudden extreme movement and watched him chew enthusiastically. 

But when Ace noticed how quiet the place became, he slowly asked; "Wait, what's going on, guys?"

"THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO ASK YOU, BAKA!" They yelled in unison, surprising the youngster. "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED, ACE?"

"Wha- What do you guys mean?" He wondered. "Did something happen? I'm eating, that's for sure..."

"We thought you died for a second there!" Explained Saber. "Is this what the rumours mean, Ace?"

Ace watched them for a moment, slowly calculating the situation before he finally said, "Oh, I fell asleep, didn't I?" When everyone nodded, he let out a light laugh before explaining, "Oh it's nothing much, really! Where's Deuce? He knows bout this!"

The blue haired male was sipping a cup of tea and grinned at them when their eyes met. Gently placing it on the counter, he stated; "Ace has narcolepsy."

Marco felt his body tense in realisation. "Did you just say... narcolepsy?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm doing a bunch of research on narcolepsy and I've concluded on something huge... Narcolepsy will be a big factor in this story! I might even change the title with it! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

Marco felt his blood rush cold at the flash of memories. The dark wooden locker he was placed in, the scream of agony from those surrounding him, the evil laughter enveloping him with negativity. He felt his knees go numb at the very word and the sweat accumulate at his nape. 'This seriously can't be happening...' Everywhere he looked, memories overshadowed reality and his head began to spin. 

"Marco... Are you okay?" Ace asked pit of the blue, catching him and everyone else off guard at the kindness in his voice. The boy had swallowed his food to speak clearly. "You're all pale..."

Marco's eyes widen at this and he quickly returned is stoic facade and replied, "Nothing. I'm just surprised... Are you sure its narcolepsy?" He glanced over at Deuce for any sign that it was all a joke but the boy shook his head slightly, his smile inching downwards in concern. "Since when did you have this?"

The ebony haired boy took a moment to think, tossing a chip into his mouth to chomp on before it hit him and he smiled. "After I started my pirate career! It just sorta.. happened!"

"CAUSE BEING A PIRATE IS WORTHWHILE!" The rest of the crew cheered, completely ignoring it was an illness they should be concern of. The party resumed like nothing happened but Marco stood his ground, letting his thoughts run wild. 

'This isn't good... I can't think straight...' Taking a deep breath, he muttered softly to nobody in particular, "I'm off to bed, guys. Don't go too overboard, yoi..."

As he trudged away, Thatch stood behind the counter, wiping a plate with a frown and shared a glance with Izou, Jozu and Vista. If something was bothering their first commander, things on the battle field won't get pretty...

\---

The four friends were right about that. The next day, Marco was sent on a smaller ship with a team of forty crew mates to stop by an island and buy supplies. The first commander was forced Ace since he had to teach the basics in the task and Thatch decided to volunteer alongside his boyfriend/girlfriend. (A/N: Is Izou a guy or a girl??? -_-')

But before they reached the island, a pirate crew tried to attack their ship, saying they could defeat forty pirates with an alliance team of two thousand on their side. Marco didn't give the order at all, instead deciding to launch by himself, shifting into his phoenix form and shot forward, pushing the two alliance captains' overboard. After successfully doing so, he flapped his majestic wings once, sending a gush of winds at their sails and sending them away. 

The crew cheered him on but Thatch noticed how reckless Marco was. 'He didn't even think of asking us.. He wanted to release stress.' The blonde chef gave Izou a quick glance before having a silent agreement. Izou nodded, signalling his (A/n: I think I'll use 'him and his') boyfriend and the chef stepped towards the starboard where Marco was landing. He waited his best friend to shift back into his human form but nothing happened. 'Eh?'

"Um... Marco? You can shift back now," he said, still waiting in confusion. The phoenix himself looked utterly confused, staring at his wings for a moment and closed his eyes. But when nothing happened, he looked at Thatch with wide eyes.

"Big problem, yoi..." He slowly said softly, not use to speaking to the others in that form. "I... I can't change back, yoi...."

A moment of silence was all he needed before Thatch screamed; "WAIT WHAT?"

\---

The entire crew was told to eat lunch while the main Division Commanders stood at the deck, staring at Marco in bewilderment. The blue flames illuminated the ship as clouds formed and Marco held his head low, feeling completely useless and ashamed. "It must've been one of their devil fruits. When I kicked the two captains, one of them reached out to touch me. He managed to but I just thought he didn't want to fall in the ocean... It was careless of me, yoi..."

"It sure was, you idiot you could've told us to help..." Izou growled with his hands on his hips. Izou had sent a denden mushi to Whitebeard, explaining the situation. Whitebeard told Marco to stay hidden for now and leave the task to those two. It truly hurt him but he understood it was due to his lack of judgement. 

"I can't believe you didn't even ask us, man..." Thatch mumbled while patting his upper arm. "Aren't we friends?"

Marco looked away, not sure how to communicate in his bird form. He was about to speak when he heard a footstep and looked behind his back, only to see the raven haired youngster. Ace's eyes were wide in surprise and he slowly stepped forward. The duo commanders kept quiet as Ace approached the blonde elder until he was in reach. Very slowly, he lifted his hand and touched Marco's feathery back. Marco stiffened at this but soon relaxed. Very slowly, he felt his power drain and leaned into Ace's shoulder.

Ace stumbled back at the weight and wondered out loud; "Are you okay?"

In phoenix form, it felt odd but something was breaking him in half. Marco could see stars at this point and his body was overheating. Thatch and Izou began to flip at this, uncertain of how to deal with it. Luckily, Ace had the right idea at the time and gently sat beside him while stroking his feathers. It sent a wave of comfort over the elder bird and Marco could feel the heat draining towards Fire Fist. 

"A-Are you controlling the temperature?" He whispered softly, his bodyrelaxing in Ace's arms. 

"Nah... Just taking the fire from you to avoid yourself from burning up," Explained the youngster while glancing at his superior. Very slowly, he moved his hand to his beak and stroked slowly while asking, "Better?"

Marco let his facade break for a moment, seeing how his bird form wouldn't convey too much expressions and he replied, "Thank you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how was that?? Second update in a day! Im plannng to go on a spree and hopefully update the next today!


End file.
